Spacex Delays Launch Debut Of Upgraded Falcon Rocket

CAPE CANAVERAL (CBSMiami/AP) — Launch fans will have to wait another day before the latest rocket heads towards space.

The first “block 5” Falcon 9 rocket was hauled up pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center last week for an engine test firing that cleared the way for launch Thursday to boost a communications satellite into orbit for Bangladesh. (Source: SPACEX)

SpaceX has delayed the launch debut of its upgraded workhorse rocket.

This latest version of the Falcon 9 was supposed to blast off Thursday from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, carrying Bangladesh’s first satellite, which would bring the internet to all corners of the country.

But the countdown came to an abrupt halt with 58 seconds remaining.

Flight controllers scrambled to figure out the cause of the automatic abort, but with time running out, called it quits for the day. SpaceX says it will try again Friday.

SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk says the improved boosters can be reused more than 10 times each and require little or no work between launches. His goal is to eventually launch the same booster twice within 24 hours, drastically reducing costs.

The Block 5 was also designed to meet NASA’s stringent crew-carrying requirements. In addition to being used to eventually launch astronauts to the International Space Station, it will be used for high-priority national security payloads for the Pentagon.

The communications satellite, called Bangabandhu 1, will be Bangladesh’s first communications satellite.

The spacecraft will provide a variety of broadcast and communications services to residents of the densely populated South Asian nation.